Chartres
Medium
Salted paper print from paper negative
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 13/16 × 8 1/2 in. (27.4 × 21.6 cm) Image: 10 1/4 × 8 1/8 in. (26.1 × 20.6 cm)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gilman Collection, Purchase, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee Gift, 2005
Accession Number
2005.100.37
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-19th century, as photography emerged as a revolutionary medium, French artist Pierre Emile Joseph Pécarrère captured the timeless grandeur of Chartres Cathedral in this salted paper print from a paper negative, created between 1850 and 1852. Titled simply *Chartres*, the image measures about 10¼ × 8⅛ inches and highlights the cathedral's intricate Gothic sculptures—those masterful stone figures that adorn its portals, evoking biblical scenes and saints. Produced at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Gilman Collection, this work exemplifies the calotype process, where a paper...